Archive: The 2025 Oostra Christmas tree was cut and is perfect
Posted By RichC on December 9, 2025
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Music Monday: Lynyrd Skynyrd “Freebird” and an AI tidbit
Posted By RichC on December 8, 2025
Today’s “Freebird” for Music Monday by Lynyrd Skynyrd is a 1973 classic, but I also recently 
heard “Freebird!” being exclaimed as a joke Fox Business as a way to “break the monotony” of a conversation and humorously “make fun of” each other on the 12-2pm slotted “The Big Money Show.”
So for today … here’s one of the greatest classic rock video performances from the Official Lynyrd Skynyrd YouTube channel (and you should probably turn the volume up LOUD). 😉
Freebird!
People yell “Freebird” at concerts as a humorous tradition that started in the 1970s, often during quiet moments, as a way to request the iconic song by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It has become a running joke across various music genres and events, regardless of whether the band actually plays the song.
Origin of Yelling “Freebird” and Historical Context (more…)
Remembering Pearl Harbor by starting a new Martin Dugurd book: “Taking Midway”
Posted By RichC on December 7, 2025
I’ve been on the waiting list to download the ebook “Taking Midway” by Martin Dugard from my local library for months, but my hold recently came up and so I checked it 
out two days before National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (today). The timing is excellent for “remembering” the 2403 fallen Americans back in 1941. Martin Dugard’s new 2025 book chronicles the events leading up to the World War II and battle for Midway Island … which most military historians see as the turning point in the Pacific in WW2.
December 7th was definitely a wake up call for America and I still find it difficult to believe that with a war raging in Europe, and one obviously brewing in the Pacific, that we let our guard down to that degree? Of course in saying this, we did the same in during “Tet” in Vietnam (annual Vietnamese New Year), on 9/11/2001 after prior attempts and even with President Biden underestimating the Taliban while exiting Afghanistan. We are still likely ill prepared today noting all the radical political and ideological types (citizens and non-citizens) or those who came under weak asylum laws, or just flat out illegally, and entered the U.S. without proper fitting vetting?. The idea of lone wolf terrorist with a bomb or just using a vehicle … or an enemy of our country such as a larger radicalized sleeper cell willing to use biological or other weapons of mass destruction against Americans does have me concerned. Are we that naïve?
Back to remembering Pearl Harbor and starting a new book: I’m already intrigued how an attack on the United States by Japan awoke “a sleeping giant” (as Isoroku Yamamoto stated) and I am hoping such a horrific attack isn’t what is required for America to maintain a strong military and a cautious posture of “peace through strength” in the years ahead.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
– George Santayana (1863-1952), U.S. philosopher, poet.
Archive: Merry Christmas 2025 and a Volkswagen memory
Posted By RichC on December 6, 2025
On Thanksgiving weekend, our family walked around the shops in Liberty Center before going to the movie Zootopia 2 as a family; it was very nice. Besides the granddaughters enjoying the candy store, I particularly enjoyed a shop with an old Volkswagen Microbus. Of course I couldn’t help but reminisce about my old friend Charlie Matthews and his old air cooled VWs. One of his Volkswagens 
was a bus similar to the one on display in the shop.
As I was admiring the bus, I couldn’t help but think about Kamikaze (our nickname for him) and his beloved air-cooled Volkswagens (or my CinciTDI friend Tim’s for that matter, although a bit newer). These were both Volkswagen Type 2 “Transporter’s in the same spirit as the one in the store. I had a feeling the owner “Running on Blooms” might have noticed my conversation with the kids and came over to talk. I eventually pulled up a photo of Charlie and his bus back in the early 1980s when he visited us at our first house in Aurora, Ohio. The shop owner then opened up the doors so the girls could sit on the step for a photo(very nice).
On a side not, while Charlie stayed with us, I helped him dig clay and pack it in his van for his raw earth pottery; we still have treasured pieces that he made for us. Definitely great memories.
Back to the purpose of this post: Archiving our annual Christmas letter, but now just a Christmas card … and to wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
EDIT Add 12/25/2025: Before I forget, just archiving our beautiful 2025 Christmas Tree with the new addition of a l-o-n-g red ribbon. Nice touch Brenda!
Tech Friday: Spammers adding events to Google’s Calendar
Posted By RichC on December 5, 2025
If you’re like me, having an online calendar that automatically keeps things up-to-date has been super convenient. I’m referring to things like airlines and hotel reservations showing up when emails arrive after purchasing tickets or making reservations. 
It has also been helpful with personal events like invitations from my daughter for the events in their life. It is very nice, ehh?
Well yes and no. Spammers have also taken advantage of this ability to add events and notifications to your calendar … even if their emails automatically are sent to a SPAM folder and you never actually see it. That means all the “automation” must stop and once again, we need to read, confirm and add an event purposefully to our calendars again.
Here was a bit of my interaction with Google’s Gemini AI about this issue (but let me know if you’ve found a better solution):
That is an excellent question, and you have identified the unfortunate trade-off.
You are 100% correct: If you uncheck “Show events from Gmail,” it will stop all automated events, including legitimate flights, hotel reservations, and concert tickets.
Here is the breakdown of why this is and what your options are.
The All-or-Nothing Problem
How much truth in “Opinion from a Former Judge” … Grok?
Posted By RichC on December 4, 2025
After reading an opinion from several years ago, but also after recent events, rising 
tensions and political divide in the U.S. … the same article is being passed around social media again. The writings seemed almost too spot on so I was interested in knowing how much truth there was to it — so I’m asking AI’s Grok.
Nevertheless, it should be obvious to nearly all though who pay attention, that the leftist strategy is real … and reminds me of the radicals from the 1960-70s (see previous post) and Saul Alinsky‘s Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer (1971).
Verification of the Claim
The “Opinion from a Former Judge” letter you provided is a real piece written by Keith M. Alber, a retired California Superior Court judge. It was originally published as a letter to the editor in local newspapers starting around 2021 (e.g., in the *Napa Valley Register* and others), and it has since gone viral on social media. Alber, who was 85 at the time of writing, explicitly references a half-page in a political science textbook he encountered during his first year of college in 1954, when he was a student at Napa College (now Napa Valley College). He describes it as outlining hypothetical “steps to overturn a democracy” as a “possible diabolic nightmare”—a thought experiment on vulnerabilities in democratic systems, likely in the context of Cold War-era fears about communism or authoritarian subversion.
However, the core claim—that these exact nine steps were printed verbatim in a 1954 textbook—appears unsubstantiated and likely exaggerated or misremembered. Alber himself admitted in interviews (e.g., with fact-checkers) that he could not recall the textbook’s title, author, or publisher, despite extensive prompting. No such book matching this description has been identified in historical records, library catalogs, or academic archives from 1954 (or surrounding years). Searches for key phrases from the steps (e.g., “foment racial strife,” “cause distrust of police authority,” “swarm the nation’s borders,” “control all balloting”) yield no matches in pre-2021 publications. The list seems tailored to contemporary U.S. political concerns (e.g., border security, election integrity, racial tensions), which weren’t phrased this way in mid-20th-century texts.
Possible Origins or Inspirations
The first snow of the winter always shuts down schools, etc.
Posted By RichC on December 3, 2025
The “over-forecasted” first winter snowstorm for 2025-26 was spot on. By morning we had at least 6 inches of heavy snow. About the only thing that would have made it look a little prettier would have been some sunshine … but it was still beautiful (took the photos too early in the morning though).
I’m not saying I’m a “snow lover” but I don’t mind the stillness and hush that comes after a fresh snow. If you think you’ve seen these photos before, it is likely because I usually do the same thing after the first snow of the season. 😉
Still love the MacBook Air M2, but I’m looking 1 or 2 years ahead
Posted By RichC on December 2, 2025
From regular reading of rumors, the Apple M5 MacBook Air is likely a spring of 2026 event … but besides a faster chip, CPU speeds and GPU, the display will likely stay the same until 2027. Who knows though, if the price and specs are right, it could be an upgrade option for me?
BUT … I’m looking ahead, and thinking it might be nice to switch from a 13” to a 15” … or more than likely just waiting for the updated LCD display. That might be the trigger to replace my older MacBook Air 13” M2 with the expected Oxide TFT M5 or M6 in 2027 (see MacRumors)?
According to reports out of Korea, Apple plans to release a MacBook Air with an improved LCD display in 2027, featuring Oxide TFT technology instead of the current amorphous silicon (a-Si) panels.
The new display technology is said to be a significant upgrade over current MacBook Air screens. Oxide TFT LCD panels offer better power efficiency and improved performance compared to traditional a-Si displays, resulting in sharper images, smoother scrolling, and enhanced battery life.
The transition to Oxide TFT technology should also mean faster pixel response times and more consistent brightness across the screen. In practical terms, this should translate to reduced motion blur when watching videos or gaming, and more uniform lighting without the “clouding” effect sometimes visible on current LCD displays.
Music Monday: Timeless David Bowie song: “Rebel Rebel”
Posted By RichC on December 1, 2025
A month or so ago, David Bowie and the song “Changes” was highlighted on Music Monday. It started me thinking about other hits, and I realized that “Rebel Rebel” was another one of the timeless classics that should be included. It was a 1974 UK release and big hit. It is likely known worldwide by nearly all music listeners regardless of generation.
| David Bowie – “Rebel Rebel” | 1974 |
Above is a 2014 remaster recording from YouTube as well as a live performance from his Glass Spider Tour in 1987.
Music tidbit (look closely at the video):
Peter Frampton played guitar for David Bowie. He was recruited by Bowie to play guitar on the 1987 album Never Let Me Down and joined Bowie’s band for the Glass Spider Tour, which took place in 1987.
Frampton has stated that Bowie chose him over other guitarists, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, and that this opportunity was pivotal in restoring his credibility as a musician after a period of career uncertainty.
The weekend after Thanksgiving 2025 is wintery in the Midwest
Posted By RichC on November 30, 2025
Thanksgiving “return home” weekend travel look dicey in some parts of the midwest and could snarl air travel for those who might be flying. Thankfully for us, KDAE are traveling home on Saturday and not Sunday, but will likely face a little weather (since I’m writing this after they left our house on Saturday).
It does feel strange to me that Brenda and I think more about traveling in weather NOW than we ever did? We often drove in questionable conditions to and from our parents with less than reliable cars and rear wheel drive vehicles. Those who have driven in NE Ohio along Lake Erie into Pennsylvania and western New York know what I’m talking about! Maybe it is because our kids are now driving with our granddaughters that we act more like “our parents” did when seeing us traveling in ice and snow?
We did have great Thanksgiving this year with my brother and his family. It is even better in 2025 that the younger kids enjoy playing together. Very reminiscent of me and my cousins … or Taylor and Katelyn with their cousins … getting together in years past.
Brenda set a beautiful table and still enjoys entertaining in the dining room. We watched the Bengals win and on Friday opted for a movie instead of shopping (Zootopia 2). It is great to have a nice area to walk, shop and enjoy close by — Liberty Center.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.